Oscar the Tank Surfing Betta

This is a discussion on Oscar the Tank Surfing Betta within the Freshwater Journals forums, part of the Aquarium Photography category; -->
I took this a couple of weeks ago during a water change... I seem to have an oddball. He likes to swim against the ...

I would recommend putting a filter baffle on your filter's output. The water current makes it difficult for bettas with long fins to swim.

To clarify, that's not the filter output it's the fresh water to refill the tank. The filter is at the top of the 37 tall pointed at the front glass. There's not much current anywhere other than directly in front of the output, so when he does his stationary swimming act, it's immediately in front of the output, and when he gets out of the current he sometimes goes back in and swims at it again. Mostly he just floats around minding his business.

So you water change with fish IN their tank?
I put my fish in buckets when I water change.

Really?

Why?

They hang around and check out the vac, chase the sand grains in the tube, come up for a peak at the surface. More like a bunch of puppies than fish. My daughter thought they might get sucked out by accident but I siphon water at about 2 minutes per gallon so they can't get caught in any flow.... far less than the filter draw... that and it's a small vac.

I use tap water and don't need to treat it if you are wondering about adding chemically treated water being an issue. I bring it to within a degree of the tank water temperature.

There's no way I would put the fish through the stress of chasing them with a net and plopping them into a pail then doing the same thing to get them back. Right now there are 13 fish. Next week there will likely be just over 20... plants, driftwood... I wouldn't have even thought to try to remove them for changes, nor would it be likely that I could get them all without uprooting plants and stirring up the sand. The next fish will be cats so the last thing I want to do is get them stuck in the net due to their spines.

My betta tank doesn't need water changes. But I do em to vacuum up SOME shrimpie poo and wipe down the algae on the walls.
My aim is to have my 75 gal get like that.

I've always put my fish in buckets because I didn't want to risk hurting them with the vac. And for some unknown reason I feel like putting them in their buckets is less stressful than watching something strange going around their home and feeling the water drastically changing. Even tho I KNOW that both would likely be equally stressful.

So you water change with fish IN their tank?
I put my fish in buckets when I water change.

I do it too! A 50% every other day in my 2 gallon and a 20% 2-3x a week in my 10 gallon. They get much lesses stressed that way as long as the water is carefully added to avoid a strong current. I do it so much and so carefully that my fish have some to expect it! Cami and Gus both like to play with me while I do it. When I take water out ot pour it in, I use a small glass in Cami's and a mixing bowl in Gus's. I pour the water in a cup/bowl full at a time pouring against the wall or in the filter to avoid a big current. I also make sure the water is 78 degrees F (give or take 1) so that that it wont bother them. Then I turn back on their filters. Works great for me Posted via Mobile Device